Cotutelles
What is a cotutelle doctoral program?
A cotutelle doctoral program offers you the opportunity to complete your doctoral studies at the University of Ottawa as well as at another university (outside of Ontario). In a cotutelle doctoral program you are jointly supervised by a thesis supervisor at each institution and you attend the two universities alternately. You normally need to take a single comprehensive examination, and you work on a thesis to be defended only once in front of a jury chosen by the two partner universities. Once you have completed your doctoral program, each university confers a separate degree, with a mention of the cotutelle collaboration on the degrees.
Why choose a cotutelle doctoral program?
A cotutelle doctoral program can be your gateway to scholarship on the international scene. As you pursue your PhD, you receive support from two research and academic communities and discover different scientific approaches and fresh perspectives as you work with experts who broaden your scientific and/or scholarly horizons. The cotutelle program encourages you to reach beyond familiar borders to both enhance your education and take part in a world-class research network. A cotutelle doctoral program can provide the opportunity to experience the rich social and cultural life from two different universities.
Eligibility
Anyone registered in a doctoral program at the University of Ottawa and benefitting from an
admission scholarship or an equivalent merit-based scholarship is eligible for the cotutelle doctoral program. For students registered in a doctoral program from another university, an equivalent standing or record is needed. Requests for exceptions must be submitted to the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS), or his delegate.
Preparing a cotutelle doctoral program The main steps to prepare a cotutelle doctoral program are:
For both steps and for additional information, you should contact the person in charge of cotutelles at the University of Ottawa at cotutelle@uOttawa.ca. Since it can take up to a year to complete the whole cotutelle agreement process, we recommend that you obtain the necessary information and start the process as soon as possible.
Additional information
Once your cotutelle agreement has been signed, you must register at both universities for each session and each year until you complete your doctoral program. You pay tuition to the University of Ottawa when you’re in Ottawa, and when you’re studying at the other partner university you pay tuition to that university. You also pay the cotutelle placement administration fee to the University of Ottawa while you are at the other university.
Students having the University of Ottawa as the home institution and receiving either a University of Ottawa Admission/Excellence scholarship (Canadian or permanent residents students) or International Scholarship (international students) will receive a cotutelle scholarship for the period of studies at the partner university. The cotutelle scholarship consists of the original admission/excellence/international scholarship plus a one-year $4,000 mobility scholarship from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and a one-year $1,000 mobility bursary from the University of Ottawa International Office. No tuition fees are paid to the University of Ottawa for that period, however cotutelle fees are to be paid. When the admission/excellence/international scholarship includes a required matching funding contribution from the academic unit, the required contribution is reduced by 50% for the period of studies outside of the University of Ottawa.
For students having the University of Ottawa as the partner institution, an Admission scholarship or an Excellence scholarship is to be provided for Canadian citizens and permanent residents during their stay in Ottawa, and a limited number of International Scholarships are available to international students during their stay in Ottawa.
All students registered in a cotutelle doctoral agreement are also eligible to apply for the Conference travel grant and the Research travel grant.
When possible, your thesis supervisor at the University of Ottawa can also offer you research or teaching assistantships, thus providing you with some additional income.